Author: Cynthia Murray

Roommates: can’t live with them, can’t pay rent without them

Cynthia Murray Features

two-boys-arguing_ispc038063.jpgBOSTON–Roommates are more than the people you live with; they are an essential part of the college experience. Whether it is in a dorm or an off-campus apartment, they have the potential to the best of friends, or at the very least laundry night partner. But, for many college students a dream living situation can turn into a nightmare as financial, social and work-related stress mounts over the semester.

Living with someone is typical for college students. In the United States alone, most young adults spend at least a year living with roommates after leaving home for the first time. The popularity of roommates is reflected in pop culture including movies and television programs such as “Greek,” which all emphasize the notion that roommates are best friends and partners in crime.

Most of the country’s universities even require first-year students to live in on-campus residence halls, and share a dorm room with a same-sex roommate. The idea is to provide incoming freshmen with a built-in social network for everything from exploring campus, joining clubs, or just going to restaurants. Studies have found that a good relationship with a roommate affects grades, study style, social behavior, and personality productivity.  “Right now my grades are on point, and my social life is thriving and I think I owe most of that to having a little 13×11 room I can call my home away from home,” says one Georgia Tech freshman, who credits his roommate for getting him comfortable on campus. Continue reading →

Boston proposes new bike sharing plan

Cynthia Murray Community, Politics , ,

BOSTON – Following in the footsteps of Paris, Portland, and D.C., city officials in Boston will evaluate a new initiative to bring a bike sharing program to the city during the coming months. The plan will offer riders a convenient way to rent bikes by the hour, and return them to any of terminals in the downtown Boston.

londonbikeshare2.jpgOf the dozens of proposed bike rental stations in the Back Bay and Beacon Hill areas, one will be placed outside Suffolk University’s own Ridgeway building where new bike racks were installed in early November.

The initiative has already been gaining momentum among the city’s environmentally conscious commuters. The plan comes on the heel of Boston’s “bean town to green town” initiative, a program that has put Boston on the edge of eco-friendly living. Continue reading →

Commuter Connections Week a success

Cynthia Murray Uncategorized

redline-2.jpgBOSTON–Suffolk University’s Commuter Student Association hosted its 10th Commuter Connections week  Oct. 20-25, 2008. The bi-annual event encourages Suffolk University’s commuter and resident students to get connected with a wide range of events, including AMC movie night, Cooking 101, and daily refreshments in the Donahue, Sawyer, and NESAD lobbies.

Until the completion of its dorms in late 2003, Suffolk University was made up entirely of commuters. Even today, commuter students remain the largest demographic on campus. For the past six years, the Commuter Student Association has been an outlet for all those students who commute to school from an off campus apartment in the city or even from home. “Our goal has been to connect all commuter students to campus,” says CSA vice president Christina Keast. “This may be by finding ways to help offer more incentives, whether it’s discounts at various places, meal plans, activities, or anything that will make being a commuter easier.” Continue reading →

The great debate

Cynthia Murray Politics , ,

Candidates at the debateOXFORD, Miss.–After much deliberation, the first debate of the presidential elections took place Friday evening, Sept. 26, 2008 at the University of Mississippi.

The intended topic was foreign policy, however the threat of a $700 billion government bailout earlier in the day refocused the candidates’ thoughts on the economy. While early predictions called for Sen. McCain to lead Sen. Obama on the issues of national security and foreign policy, the debate produced no clear winner.

Much of the first half of the debate was dedicated to the looming financial crisis facing the nation. The crisis, which almost postponed the debate due to the temporary suspension of McCain’s campaign, produced similar views from both candidates. Each agreed to cuts in government spending to balance the national deficit. McCain promoted his qualifications by criticizing Obama’s inexperience and inconsistent voting records. Obama appealed to “Main Street America” by stressing the ideas of his tax reforms and tying McCain to President Bush’s big business economic policies. Continue reading →